About a year ago, the emergence and rapid spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus took humanity by surprise. The pandemic was initially seen as an extraordinary and temporary phenomenon, but it soon became apparent that its effects would not only disrupt, but transform many of the aspects of the “normality” of modern societies. It is noteworthy that since last spring, a series of structural changes have been recorded worldwide, in human communication, labor relations, the economy, educational processes, the functioning of democratic institutions and the protection of individual rights. At the same time, the public good for health is being severely tested, especially for the most vulnerable social groups, and the escalation of domestic violence has been recognized as a major social problem by the World Health Organization itself.
The shaping of this new reality could not but affect the research orientation of the School of Social Sciences of the University of Crete. Since last spring, the faculty, researchers, researchers and scholars of the school have been participating with original works in the international scientific discussion, which attempts to capture and interpret the effects of the pandemic on the whole spectrum of modern life.
At this critical juncture, in which society experiences the present with fear and anxiously thinks about the future, the findings of scientific studies should not be discussed only among experts. For this reason, the School of Social Sciences has taken the initiative to organize an extroverted seminar series, which will aim to approach the phenomenon of pandemics in an interdisciplinary way. The relevant discussions, which will be attended by scientists from the University of Crete and other higher education institutions in the country, are addressed not only to members of our university community, teaching staff, students, but also to the general public of Cretan society.